Monrovia — The leadership crisis within the Liberia Basketball Association (LBA) has intensified after embattled president Abraham Samukai issued threats against individuals involved in the upcoming Monrovia Madness All-Star Basketball Festival.
The event, set to take place in April 2025 at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Gymnasium in Paynesville, aims to unite communities across Montserrado County through basketball.
Samukai's leadership threatened sanctions against players, coaches, referees, and other participants in the tournament, calling it an unauthorized event. However, this threat has fueled further tension in the ongoing leadership dispute, with Jacob Kabakollie, who contests Samukai's presidency, rejecting the claims.
Kabakollie, who claims Samukai's election victory was fraudulent, argued that the election process was flawed, with discrepancies in the vote count and the delegate roll call. Kabakollie contested the results in court, and the court ruled to revert the LBA to its pre-election status. Despite the court's decision, the Ministry of Youth and Sports recognized Samukai as president.
In response to the threats, Kabakollie remained defiant, stating that the Monrovia Madness tournament would proceed as planned. "I will not engage with them because they are not the legitimate leadership of the LBA," he stated.
Kabakollie also clarified his team's participation in an African Basketball Festival in Accra, Ghana, where Vision Basketball finished in third place. He emphasized that the invitation was sent directly to the team, not through the LBA.
Meanwhile, Rufus Anderson's faction, representing the LBA Executive Committee, has warned stakeholders to refrain from engaging with individuals claiming to represent the association until a final court ruling is issued.
This follows a court ruling in August 2024 by Judge Ousman F. Feika, which supported Kabakollie's claims and deemed any leadership other than the pre-election committee unauthorized.
The ongoing conflict between the two factions continues to create uncertainty within Liberian basketball, as both sides await a resolution from the courts.
